The Will Of The Heart
by Cavert
Summary: Matthew Murdock (the crowned Prince of Camelot) and Karen Paige (the Princess of Bullivere) are set to be married, despite the fact that Matthew’s heart belings to the [dead] daughter of a witch and Karen is dealing with her own “missplaced feelings”. With the Hand at large, which battle will they win- the fight for freedom or love?
1. DREAMING OF NIGHTMARES

Chapter 1:

 ** _DREAMING OF NIGHTMARES_**

"C'mon Matthew! Hurry up!"

"Slow down Elektra! I don't want you to fall!"

She giggled.

"No, you just don't want me to _win_!"

He grinned as he rushed to catch up to her.

"Too slow, Matthew!" she taunted as she turned to face him from the top of the hill.

He grinned and sprinted up the hill to her side.

"What took you so long?" She teased.

Then, darkness began to surround them.

" _No...no…_ " he began to mutter.

"You _were_ always too slow. Is that why didn't you stop them?"

She turned to face him, her smile faded and her face darkened.

"I couldn't have. I...I didn't know!"

They suddenly shifted and became their adult selves.

"You never _really_ cared, did you? _Even after all that time?_ "

"I did! I loved you! I...I still love you. Please...no…"

He held her head in his hands, gently caressing her face.

"Goodbye Matthew." she whispered before fading away.

"No...NO! ELEKTRA!"

With a shout, Matthew jolted up in bed, drenched in sweat. It had happened again. The same dream-turned-nightmare he had been having for the past few months. He sighed and grabbed the cup of water that lay next to his bed. With a few big gulps he drained the glass and sighed again. He needed to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. The day he would meet his betrothed. He shuddered at the mere thought. Apparently, he had met her before (although he had no recollection of who she was or where he had met her) and his parents had taken a liking to her. With much enthusiasm from her father, their lives had been planned out for them. They were to meet at dawn, make a public announcement of their courtship, and after a month or so they were to announce their engagement to the world.

Matthew covered his face with his hands. It didn't feel right. They couldn't _possibly_ learn to love each other within a month of just _meeting_. Besides, he would hate to lie to her, whoever she was. Hate to tell her that he loved her when really, his heart would always belong to someone else. Someone who he had loved for years and years. Someone who he couldn't forget about no matter how long it had been since… since she died.

 _No_ , he reminded himself, _since she had been killed._

"MATTIE!"

Matthew groaned and covered his face with the silk blankets that covered his bed ( _'Cotton is too itchy,' he had told Stick. Really, it was because Elektra had always loved silk and the way it slid against her skin_ ).

"Get up kid. Today's the day."

Stick marched into his room and ripped the covers off his head.

"Go away Stick." Matthew rolled away from the old man and wrapped himself in the warm blankets once again.

"Not until you get up and dressed. You gotta be at the gates ready and waiting in less than an hour."

"What about breakfast?"

"You'll be eating that with your _dearly beloved_."

Slowly but surely Matthew rolled out of the covers and stumbled over to where his clothes for the day had been laid out. He ran his fingers over the kingly uniform and smirked.

"Are they _trying_ to get her to hate me from the first moment we meet?"

"Ha-ha. Just get dressed. Don't wanna keep the princess waiting."

Stick began to leave, muttering something about how immature Matt was being when Matthew stopped him.

"Hey Stick?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Do… do you think I should tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"That… I… never mind."

Stick grumbled and turned away.

"Mattie, if you're talking about your _ex-girlfriend_ , then no. As far as anyone is concerned, she doesn't - and _never did_ \- exist."

"You know that's-"

"Just shut up and get dressed or you'll never be able to prove yourself to your parents. A _witch's daughter_ was never the most appropriate _playmate_. Especially for someone your stature. If you ask me, her death was a _blessing_. You should be able to see that by now."

Matthew tensed and stood to face Stick.

"What did you just say?"

"I said her death was a _blessing_. Now hurry up and get ready."

In two grand steps Matthew reached the other side of the room and grabbed Stick by his throat, slamming him against the wall.

" _Never_ say that again. Do you hear me old man? _Never_."

Stick spat in his face and showed his yellowing teeth.

"Or what? You'll _kill_ me? You _couldn't,_ even if it wasn't illegal. You're too _good_ for that."

"Don't doubt me."

With that, Matthew dropped Stick and walked back to wear his clothes laid.

"Just get dressed and come downstairs. Nobody is gonna be talking about _Elektra_ anyway."

 _Yeah_ , Matthew thought as Stick walked away, _but I'll be thinking about her_.


	2. THE GIRL

Chapter 2:

 ** _THE GIRL_**

"I now present, King Paxton and Princess Karen Paige of Bullivere!"

"How exciting." Matthew mumbled.

Stick elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow." Matthew grumbled as Stick smirked and motioned for Mattie to shut it.

"Come darling," Paxton hissed, pulling on his daughter's hand.

"I'd rather not."

Matthew smirked.

 _She doesn't like this either,_ he began to think before another thought crossed his head, _or she's in love with someone else too_.

After a few awkward and misplaced smiles from the visiting King, his daughter came into view. Her light blue dress barely brushed her toes and Matthew could hear it russling with every move she made. His father gave him a slight push and signaled for him to greet his "bride-to-be". With no small amount of reluctance, he walked to her and held out his hand for her to take. She slowly placed a pale hand into his palm and he gently brushed his lips over her knuckles.

"May I be the first to welcome you to Camelot, Princess." he said with a friendly smile.

She giggled.

 _Cute_ Matthew thought.

"Too bad you'll be the _second_. The carriage driver already welcomed me."

"Well then I suppose I'll have to make it up to you somehow."

She giggled again and he could _hear_ their parent's smirks.

"C'mon. Let's go inside and eat." King Jonathan motioned towards the inviting castle doors.

"Yes, let's. It's been a long ride." Paxton agreed.

Together, the two families entered the castle and made their way to the dining hall for a filling (and rather uneventful) breakfast. After the meal, it was decided that Karen and her father were to go to their rooms for a quick rest before rejoining the royal family of Camelot for a picnic in the gardens. The moment she stepped out of the room Matthew sighed and reclined in his chair, throwing his head back and squeezing his eyes shut.

 _Whyyy_ ,was his only thought, _why does she like me already_?

His mother smacked him upside the head.

"Sit up." Queen Margaret commanded and her son obeyed.

"You need to try harder. Did you talk to Stick yet today?" his father questioned.

"Kinda. He woke me up this morning."

"Go see him later. You need to impress her. If you don't, how will she ever accept the proposal?"

"Who says I'm proposing?"

"MATTHEW."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I forgot that my 'life planning committee' already decided that. Will they also be choosing my death day? God, I hope it's soon."

That earned him another smack.

"Just go find Stick, okay?"

Matthew stood up and left the room.

 _Stick, here I come. We better not be meditating today. I need to punch something._

"You see? He's not that bad! And quite easy on the eyes too, if I might add."

A giggle emerged from the room.

 _The same giggle from before_ , Matthew noted and stopped to listen to the conversation that was occuring in the room.

"I never said he _wasn't_ going to be good, I just said that I _might_ not like him, that's all."

"But I see that now that has changed, _my lady_."

"Well, not yet. Maybe. I don't know. We only just met!"

"True, true. But, you do have a first impression of him, _don't you?_ "

"I mean...I _guess_ …"

"Spill."

"I think… I think I could see us having a life together, you know?"

"Does that mean you _like_ him?"

"It means I don't _not_ like him. Yet."

"So, when should I be expecting my godchildren?"

" _Doris_!"

The two girls erupted into laughter and Matthew smirked before walking on, intending to find Stick

 _Intending_.

Somehow he made his way to the flower garden. More specifically, _Elektra's_ flower garden. He closed his eyes and her sweet laughter filled his head.

 _"You really didn't have to, Matthew."_

 _"Why not? I owed you this. Especially after the rose incident."_

 _"That wasn't your fault."_

 _"I've known you for years. How could I have not known that you hate roses?"_

 _"At least you remembered my birthday."_

 _"How could I forget?"_

 _"I mean, you did forget that my favorite flowers are orchids…"_

 _They erupted into laughter._

 _"Now you will always have lots of orchids… and my love."_

"What are you doing, Matthew?"

"Hmm?"

His trip down memory lane was interrupted by a soft voice from behind him.

 _Karen_.

"I asked what you were doing."

"Oh. Just taking a walk."

 _It's not a lie_ , he told himself. _Then why does it feel like one_?

There was a short silence.

"Mind if I join you?"

"...Sure."

They walked quietly for a few minutes before Matthew decided to break the silence.

"Do you like it here?"

"I mean… I haven't _really_ had the chance to look around but so far it seems quite nice."

He made a silent motion of understanding and they continued to walk in silence.

"Matthew?"

He looked up. It didn't feel right to hear her say his name.

 _Why_? He asked himself, _Because she's not her._

"Call me Matt."

"Okay... _Matt_. Do _you_ like it here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've lived here your whole life, right? You know this place by heart. Every nook and cranny. The good and the bad. Do you love it? _All_ of it?"

"I mean… I… I guess I do. This place has a lot of memories behind it, you know? I feel like if I leave or something, I'm abandoning my past. Then again, there's been a lot of bad too and some things… some things I… never mind. The point is, I don't think it really matters what I think. I'm gonna be king, right? So regardless of what I think, what I feel, I'm going to have to stay and do my duty as King. And I think part of that is finding love for this place- all of it- and all the people who live here."

"I… wow. Yeah."

He smiled.

"Too much?"

"No, no. It's good just… not what I was expecting."

"Well what were you expecting?"

"I don't know… some cute story about something you did as a kid over there with your best friend, I guess."

They shared a quiet laugh and continued to walk.

 _Maybe_ , he thought, _maybe she'll understand_.


End file.
